Drains and pipes have been installed and other site work has been completed in preparation for construction of a new school, according to School Building Committee co-chairman Christine L. Swanson.

The committee will tour the facility, along with Select Board and School Committee members, on a monthly basis.

"There will be so much going on in the next few months, and we want to make sure we have regular updates as the project moves forward," she said.

In June 2010, voters approved a Proposition 21/2 debt exclusion override that will require the town to pay $44 million of the construction project costs. The state School Building Authority will provide $34 million to complete the project.

The construction will continue throughout the school year, with students remaining in the current high school.

The new school is being built on the grounds of the existing one, but further back than the current building. One wing of the building, which houses the swimming pool and other rooms, will be renovated and remain as part of the building. The new construction will include an auditorium, cafeteria, gymnasium, media center, music rooms, science labs and classrooms. The project has an estimated construction cost of approximately $78 million.

"It will be business as usual for students," she said. "The construction will not affect them much at this point."

The authority is reimbursing the district for the building in a "pay-as-you-go" system, Swanson said.

"We submit invoices to them every month and after they review and approve them they reimburse us for the project," she said.

On Aug. 8, the steel for the building will be delivered along with two large cranes.
"Once the steel starts to go up, residents will really start to see the difference, and the school will take shape," she said.